The Retired Hero is an Extra

As everyone fully centered in their focus to answer the questions correctly, Jash was thinking about something else.

He paused for a moment to analyze all that had transpired so far.

'If anything, this Academy shit is never so simple,' he wondered, trying hard to recall the bits and pieces about the Entrance Test.

Alas, the questions were really different and even the written test was just glossed over as the protagonist easily passed it.

Without information, even he was feeling helpless, but it wasn't like everything went according to the novel.

'No idea, let's begin solving it,' he told himself, cycling back to answering the questions in the way he knew best.

Some of the questions were fairly simple while some were multiple choice, giving two plausible answers, confusing the participants.

However, Jash didn't linger longer than a few seconds on any question, answering them on the fly as if it didn't matter.

'At least there was no negative marking for wrong answers or something,' he reiterated, shifting in his seat as his pace increased.

Unlike him, Amael had come prepared. He focused solely on answering as many questions accurately as he could, avoiding unnecessary distractions.

Most were like him, trying to answer only the correct ones, unaware of the inside things like the two of them.

Despite that Amael chose not to make random guesses so as to not spite the Academy staff into a misunderstanding.

Either way, the written test only served to eliminate the less knowledgeable.

Imagine someone being unable to answer the hunter ranks or monster categorization or dungeon classification or basic mana theories.

In the end, the written test would only be eliminating fewer than 10% of the participants, based on myriad other factors.

The test, as previously mentioned, began the moment they arrived at the venue, irrespective of their prior knowledge.

That's why most nobles did arrive on time, even though they didn't know the reason for their family to force them into it.

Meanwhile, there was another major force, distinguished from the others.

It consisted of all three races, known as the Church of the Goddess of Light. After a very long time, they finally managed to nurture 3 seeded candidates this year.

The first was Vivia, the sister of the current saintess and the daughter of the Pope of the Church.

Just in case someone misunderstood, the two weren't biologically related to each other or to the Pope.

Chastity was a must for either position, so they were never related by blood.

However, the bond of fervent devotion brought them together alongside their talent for the light element or healing element.

In the case of Vivia, it was the healing element unlike the Saintess who had the light element.

Then, there was Caeron, who was disliked by Vivia for some reason.

The last guy was the most important and pivotal person in the whole of Aeternis Ājānia as well as the novel "Hero's Journey: Blessed by the Goddess."

With radiant golden hair and shimmering golden irises, he looked amicable and fiendishly handsome with a height of 1.7 meters.(5'7'')

Currently, he was doing the same thing as anyone else but it was easily noticeable that the speed with which he answered far surpassed his peers.

It appeared as if he was already aware of the answers and didn't even need to read the questions.

Apparently, that was the truth indeed.

'Good, the questions are way too easy,' he thought, his eyes moving at a fast speed across the screen as his hands tapped in the answer.

A confidant smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he happily marked all the answers.

Just when the timer reduced to twenty minutes, a voice echoed deep within the confine of his mind.

(Host, you have done enough to secure the same marks.)

As it turns out, the protagonist also had a freaking system.

The villain had a system and so did the protagonist. It seemed Jash was the only anomaly without any system.

Yet if one were to compare the three's feats, Jash could easily overshadow the protagonist if he just put in the effort required.

Unfortunately, in the case of Amael, even Jash was left feeling helpless.

If Jash knew that both the mortal enemies had a freaking system, he'd curse the one who was freely distributing systems.

Though, he was busy solving questions at a speed far surpassing the protagonist or Amael.

Despite the two of them having a system to aid them or the protagonist even already knowing the questions, Jash nonetheless was ahead.

He had been forced to study too much and with his brain retaining everything easily, it was hard for him to give wrong answers.

Still, he had some lingering doubts in his mind unlike the two who accepted that there was nothing special in the written test.

'If my previous life memories taught me anything, it would be to never expect anything simple or straightforward from such tests.'

Recalling the countless novels with academy arcs he had read, Jash couldn't help but frown, trying to decipher a hidden condition.

'Maybe If I answer all the questions correctly?' he guessed, but immediately denied it, knowing it was next to impossible for anyone to do that.

Unable to think of anything, his gaze inadvertently fell on the paper that was said to have the ability to respond to mana usage.

If one used their mana to increase their eyesight to cheat or increase their body's movement speed, it would result in instant disqualification.

'But what if that isn't the case?' Jash pondered, wondering if the real test was using mana while not getting caught.

'No, that can't be it,' he denied it within a second as the proctor would immediately notice the attempt and disqualify the participant.

In fact, that was what was happening in various rooms where the proctors kicked out participants as the paper reacted to the usage of mana.

Simply, no one was good enough with mana manipulation that no amount of mana would leak from their body.

Hence, the idea itself became impossible.

'The flow of mana within the body is something any hunter can sense,' Jash recalled, focusing on the question on his screen.

It talked about a theory stating that if one could control all the mana perfectly from their core, there would theoretically be zero leakage of mana.

'However, controlling that flow from one's mana core is a different story entirely. To do that, you need to be focused and calm...'

Jash remembered the bare minimum to even begin, not to mention the theory which seemed only possible for someone with special talent in mana manipulation.

'Or someone with memories of it and getting reborn into a new body,' he thought, ironically rolling his eyes at the absurd thought.

'The restriction on using mana—could it be to teach them to not be overly reliant on it?'

Jash guessed but didn't fully believe it. It seemed too far-fetched and even if it were to be the truth, it could never be the complete truth.

In the end, he just sighed as the test was about to end. 'The questions weren't all that difficult for anyone who studied well,' he noted.

That meant the true test was the ability to keep one's cool while focusing on using their body correctly to answer the question while being under the pressure of time.

'It all adds up. When you think of it that way... the first stage becomes very easy to overcome!'

Thinking so, Jash almost facepalmed, realizing his foolishness at not trusting his own thoughts.

Just as he was done deciphering its intent, the timer stopped.

[00:00:00]